Car-seat.



No. 793,605. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

' W. M. uommoss.

CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 11, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnventnr Witnesses: a

Attorneys No. 798,605. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. W. M. NORUROS S. CARSEAT.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.11, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses: Inventor Atfomeys Patented June 27, 1905.

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM .M. NORCROSS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,605, dated June2'7, 1905.

Application filed October 11, 1901. ficrial No. 78,307.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM M. NORCROSS, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Philadelphia,in the countyofPhiladelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inCarSeats,of-which the following is a description.

The invention relates to that type of carseat in which are employed twoindependently pivoted seats or chairs mounted upon a common pedestal andcapable of being moved together in the arc of acircle, each chair at thesame time turning upon its pivot, so as to face in a direction oppositethat in which it faced prior to the interdependent movement of bothchairs together.

The object of the invention is to provide a seat of this type consistingof few and simplyconstructed parts of maximum strength and durabilityand capable of ready and easy assemblage.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and elficientmeansfor locking the chair in either of its two positions.

In carrying out the invention I employ a common pedestal or support,upon which is pivotally mounted a yoke provided with bearings designedto receive downwardly-projecting spindles either secured to thechair-bottoms or forming part of the spiders upon which the chairs aremounted. Also mounted upon such pedestal and keyed or otherwise securedthereto I employ a reversing-arm extending on either side of saidpedestal and coacting with the chair-bottoms or with the spiders thereofin order to turn such bottoms or spiders upon their pivots as the yokeis moved to turn the entire seat structure upon the pedestal in the arcof a circle.

In the present embodiment of the invention the connection between thereversing-arm and the chairs consists of pins or studs at either end ofsaid arm coacting with elongated slots formed in the pivoted chairspiders upon which the chairs are mounted. The parts are so proportionedand arranged relatively to each other as that in one of the positions ofthe chairs such pins or studs will come to rest in the extreme outerends of the slots in the spider-arms.

bodying the present invention.

In the turning operation such pins or studs move within such slotstoward the pivotal point of the spiders, causing such spiders to beturned upon their pivots, and when the turning operation has beencompleted, bringing such pins or studs again to rest in the extremeouter ends of said slots, all said parts coacting positively and withoutunnecessary wear and rattling.

In the embodiment of the invention here alluded to a locking mechanismis provided,

preferably operable from a point adjacent to.

the edge of one or both of the seat-bottoms and coacting with the slotsin the chair-spiders and with pins or studs carried by thereversing-arm, so as to preclude the movement of said pins or studs insaid slots, and thereby lock both chairs of the seat rigidly in one orthe other of their two positions.

It will thus be seen that in its simplest form, as above described, andassuming the chairs to be provided with the slotted spiders alluded to,the entire structure comprises but three parts in addition to thelocking mechanism 2'. 0., the pedestal, the pivoted yoke, and thereversing-arm. These parts combined with the chairs, as above indicated,form an exceedingly simple, durable, and compact seat structure capableof being assembled with the greatest ease and meeting all therequirements of practical use in a most efficient manner.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is an elevation of a car-seat cm- Fig. 2 is a plan viewthereof, the chairs and their attached backs being removed; and Fig. 3is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to these drawings, in which similar letters denotecorresponding parts, A designates the support or pedestal provided, if

desired, with a bottom flange for attachment shown as four innumber,)each of such arms being provided, preferably near its ends, withscrew-holes or other means for securing the spider-arms to thechair-bottoms. One of the arms 0 of each of the chair-spiders isprovided with an elongated slot 0, the oflice of which will be presentlyexplained.

D designates a reversing-arm centrally perforated at (Z and mounted uponthe upper end of the pedestal A. It is here shown as keyed at (1 to suchpedestal, although obviously other means may be employed for the samepurposesuch, for instance, as a set-screw passing through the hub ofsaid arm. Each end of the arm D is provided on its upper side with apinor stud d of such size as to fit snugly within the slots 0 formed in oneof the arms 0 of each of the spiders C and to move within such slots forthe purpose of effecting the reversal of the chairs. If desired, saidpins or studs may carry rolls operating within said slots.

The turning and reversing operation can probably be best understood fromFig. 2, in which one position of the chair is illustrated in full lines,its other position being indicated by a dotted line passing through thecenter of the pedestal. Obviously if pressure in ahorizontal plane beapplied to one of the chairs the yoke B will be turned upon the pedestalA. The reversing-arm D, however, being keyed to such pedestal remainsstationary. As the yoke is revolved upon its pivot the pins or studs (Zof the reversing-arm D move in the slots 0 toward the center of thechairspiders, and as such movement progresses said spiders are turnedupon their pivots in the yoke B. In the intermediate position betweenthe two positions of rest the pivots (Z will have progressed in theslots 0 substantially to the inner ends thereof, when the pivotal pointsof the spiders, that of the yoke B, and the pins or studs (Z will lie inthe same plane. As the movement continues the pins or studs (Z movingoutwardly in the slots 0 continue the turning movement of the spidersand finally come to rest in the outer ends of the slots, having in theirinward and outward excursion turned the spiders (and therefore.

the chairs mounted thereon) through approximately one hundred and eightydegrees of a circle and causing them to face in a direction oppositethat in which they faced prior to the turning movement.

In the present embodiment of the invention it is contemplated that theextreme movement of the yoke B and of the chair-spiders shall be limitedby the dimensions of the slots 0 the position of rest being determinedwhen the pins or studs coact with the outer ends of such slots.Obviously no further movement in the turning direction can be effected.Unless, however, means be provided for locking the structure in thisposition the reverse movement may readily be effected, either by presofgravity is to rest in the slots 0 and it is of such length as that whenthe seat is in one or the other of its two positions and the pins orstuds (Z of the reversing-arm D are therefore located in the outer endsof the slots 0 it will bear against the inner surface of one of suchpins and lock it in this position, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. Inorder to release the locking mechanism and effect the reversal of theseat, it is only necessary to grasp the chair-bottom and at the sametime the handpieces 0 The latter being pressed upwardly and pressureapplied to the seat-bottom in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig.2, the seat may be swung upon its pedestal, as hereinabove described. Atthe end of the swinging movement the tongue E, falling by gravity intothe slot 0 automatically locks the structure in the new position.

Importance is attached to the facility with which the chairs may bereversed, so as to face in a different direction, upon movement of theyoke in a very small arc. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, in twinchair structures pivoted upon a yoke the chair-operating con nectionshave been so arranged that in order to turn such chairs to a new facingposition the yoke must be swung entirely around, as in the constructiondisclosed in Letters Patent No. 595,624, granted December 14, 1897. Theobjection to this resides not only in the necessity for excessivemovement of the yoke, but also in the fact that in order to provide forsuch movement additional space within the car must be sacrificed. In mydevice the reversal of the chairs is accomplished not by swinging thedevice as a whole bodily around the pivotal point through a veryconsiderable arc of a circle, but by turning it through a very limitedarc, the connections thereupon reversing the chairs interdependentlywith the movement of said beam to the new facing direction. This will beclear from an inspection of Fig. 2, indicating by means of the full-lineposition of the yoke (illustrating one facing direction of the chairs)and the dotted line indicating the axis of the yoke (in the other facingdirection) the very limited are through which the yoke is moved in orderto effect the complete and interdependent reversal of the chairs.

What I claim is- 1. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with apivoted yoke, of two chairs pivotally mounted thereon and provided withmembers having elongated slots, and a reversing-arm eoacting with saidslots, substantially as set forth.

2. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pedestal, of a yokepivoted thereon, two chairs pivotally mounted upon said yoke andprovided with members having elongated slots, and a reversing-armrigidly secured to said pedestal and coacting with said slots,substantially as set forth.

3. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pedestal, of a yokepivoted thereon, two chairs pivotally mounted upon said yoke andprovided with members having elongated slots, and a reversing-armrigidly secured to said pedestal and provided at or near its ends withmeans coacting with said slots, substantially as set forth.

4.. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pedestal, of a yokepivoted thereon, two chairs pivotally mounted upon said yoke, membersmovable with said chairs and having elongated slots, and a reversing-armrig idly secured to said pedestal and having projections coacting withsaid slots, substantially as set forth'.

5. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pedestal, of a yokepivoted thereon, two chair-supports pivotally mounted upon said yoke,slots formed in said supports, and a reversing-arm secured to saidpedestal and coacting with said slots, substantially as set forth.

6. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pedestal, of a yokepivoted thereon, two chair-supports pivotally mounted upon said yoke,slots formed in said supports, and a reversing-arm secured to saidpedestal and having pins or studs eoacting with said slots,substantially as set forth.

7. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pivoted yoke, of twochairs pivotally mounted thereon and provided with members havingelongated slots, a reversing-arm coaeting with said slots, and mechanismadapted to lock the seat in one or another position, substantiall y asset forth.

8. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pivoted yoke, of twochairs pivotally mounted thereon and provided with members havingelongated slots, a reversing-arm coacting with said slots, and mechanismcooperating with said arm and slots to lock the seat in one or anotherposition, substantially as set forth.

9. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pivoted yoke, of twochairs pivotally mounted thereon and provided with members havingelongated slots, a reversing-arm coaeting with said slots, alocking-tongue piv oted adjacent to said slots and cooperating with saidarm, and means for controlling the movement of said tongue,substantially as set forth.

10. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pivoted yoke, oftwo chairs pivotally mounted thereon and provided with members havingelongated slots, a reversing-arm coacting with said slots, alocking-tongue pivoted adjacent to said slots and cooperating with saidarm, and a rock-shaft and handpiece for controlling the movement of saidtongue, substantially as set forth.

11. In a reversiblecar-seat, the combination with a pedestal, of a yokepivoted thereon, two chairs pivotally mounted upon said yoke, membersmovable with said chairs and having elongated slots, a reversing-armsecured to said pedestal, projections carried thereby and operatingwithin said slots, and tongues,

provided with actuating mechanism, hinged adjacent to and operatingwithin said slots to determine the movement of said projections therein,substantially as set forth.

12. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pivoted yoke, oftwo-chairs pivotally mounted thereon, a reversing-arm, and slotand-pinconnections between said arm and said chairs, substantially as setforth.

13. In a reversible car-seat, the combination with a pivoted yoke, oftwo chairs pivotally mounted thereon and movable interdependently, areversing-arm common to both chairs, and slot-and-pin connectionsbetween said arm and said chairs, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day ofSeptember, 1901.

' IVILLIAM M. NORCROSS. Vitnesses:

JNOwRiOBT. TAYLOR, JAS. I COLEMAN.

